A Remarkable Year
Over the past few months, our incredible partners, sponsors and volunteers have joined us in planting native trees and shrubs across Canada where we live, work and play. This year’s efforts have been nothing short of remarkable, and together, we are making a better future for generations to come.
Get to Know Our Natives by Nature
This month, we Get to Know our native Freeman Maple (also called Freeman’s Maple)
Scientific name: Acer × freemanii
A naturally occurring hybrid of two native maples – red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). The hybrid yields both the strong branch attachment of the red maple and the fast growth rate of the silver maple. Freeman Maple is known for its yellow and orange-red fall colour.
Planes, Heroes, Smoke and Trees
The moment the plane doors opened, what I was expecting to be a breath of fresh, prairie air, didn’t happen. Instead, I was hit with a wall of hazy smoke. Sadly, this is something that is all too familiar right across the country including the Greater Toronto Area, and something I had never experienced before.
The Project Forest & Nutrien Partnership
Trees for Life is excited to share the news that the Ontario government is providing $195,000 in funding over three years, through the Species at Risk Stewardship program to Trees for Life to undertake on-the-ground work to protect species at risk.
A Fight Worth Fighting
How do you feel about wearing a mask? An N95 respirator mask? You remember the one, but likely already have or would like to forget it, as health authorities highly recommended they be donned while indoors during the COVID pandemic.
Get to Know Our Natives by Nature
This month, we Get to Know our native Red Oak (also known as Northern Red Oak)
Scientific name: Quercus rubra
A fast-growing native oak with a broadly rounded shape. The foliage starts out light red in the spring, turning dark green in the summer and finally vibrant reds and oranges in the fall.
Inspiring Partnerships
Philanthropists Bob and Francine Barrett share the inspiration behind the Barrett Family Foundation’s support of Trees for Life.
A Significant Grant to Help Protect Species at Risk Across Ontario
Trees for Life is excited to share the news that the Ontario government is providing $195,000 in funding over three years, through the Species at Risk Stewardship program to Trees for Life to undertake on-the-ground work to protect species at risk.
A New Trees for Life Campaign: Honouring More Heroes to Help Save Our Planet
One million trees. $6 million dollars.
On Wednesday, May 17th, Trees for Life hosted an intimate event to thank some of our longest-standing and most ardent supporters. It was also when we announced the details of the new Trees for Heroes Campaign.
Trees for Life Partner Spotlight: Harrington & Associates
Harrington & Associates is a construction management company based out of Richmond Hill, ON. Their company slogan is “Building Relationships”, and it could not be more appropriate for not only describing their approach to providing excellent client service but also what they do to give back to their community.
A Deeper Future
When our brood gathered to celebrate Mother’s Day last month, I was reminded that having children raises your horizon. Suddenly the future seems deeper.
Having grandchildren does much the same, only deeper still.
Get to Know Our Natives by Nature
This month, we will Get to Know our native Kentucky Coffee-tree.
Scientific name: Gymnocladus dioicus
Status: Threatened. This means the Kentucky Coffee-tree lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered, but is likely to become endangered if steps are not taken to address factors threatening it.
Renewed Commitment & Renewed Hope
Trees for Life is thrilled that TD Bank Group (TD) is providing a renewed commitment in 2023 to support the expansion of our national impact and to plant trees in honour of healthcare heroes.
Get to Know our Natives by Nature
Some interesting facts you may not know about Native plants
Increasingly, gardeners are looking for native plant varieties – generally defined as “species which existed in North America prior to European contact”. Discovering native plant varieties opens our garden design to new possibilities.
Hero Spotlight: Honouring Jalynn Bosley
Jal’s sister, Kelley, didn’t think planting one tree was significant enough to honour a milestone birthday, so she set a goal of raising $5000 with the hope of planting 50 trees in honour of Jalynn.
Trees for Health: A Message from Mark
The headline in the Globe and Mail article reads, “Extreme heat should be considered a natural disaster: report”. It is hard for me to think of high temperatures and searing sunshine right now, as I write this our evening temperatures are reliably (and stubbornly) dipping below zero Celsius.
I would give a basket of fresh, home-grown tomatoes for some heat right now.
Hero Spotlight: Harold and Elaine Turner
Both Harold & Elaine Turner volunteered to serve in the war, but for different reasons, they were not accepted. Instead they served the war effort by working at the Cominco Smelter in Trail, BC. during those years. The family has honoured their memories and their contribution to the war, albeit here in Canada, through the sharing of their story and the planting of two trees.
Get to know your native plants by Nature:
Some interesting facts you may not know about Native plants
Increasingly, gardeners are looking for native plant varieties – generally defined as “species which existed in North America prior to European contact”. Discovering native plant varieties opens our garden design to new possibilities.
